Last Dream Song
by beingwitchbaby
Summary: While struggling to gain freedom from underneath the oppressive heel of Lucius Malfoy and trying not to become a Death Eater casulaty, Katarina Dobbs realizes that the only person that can help her is the one she left years before.
1. Morning Girl's Night Sky

**Chapter One**

Katarina Natalia Dobbs could remember a time in her life when she was happy. As she sat in her bedroom this evening, she realized that she hadn't been happy for a long time. Her mother, Countess Giselle Sophia Perandreas, had been alive when Katarina last remembered being happy. Her father had been sane when she last remembered being happy. She had lived in her family's home, Home House, a ridiculous name for a mansion but it was perfect.

Katarina (also known as Kat) loved her home life and family but after her mother died, her father fell into a deep depression. One morning, she went to wake him for breakfast. He wasn't in his bed. She saw that a light was on in the bathroom. There he was on the floor, the needle in his arms and she remembered screaming and crawling towards him, crying, "Daddy, daddy, daddy?" He wasn't dead but he wasn't the same. They transported him to St. Mungo's half an hour later. He didn't recognize her anymore.

She had been shipped to the home of her godparents, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and their awful son, Draco. Kat was now a ward of Lucius Malfoy and was trying hard to prolong his life. If Lucius died, Draco would become the head of the Malfoy Household and Kat would then be under his care. She couldn't stand being under the care of someone younger than her, even if it was only by two months.

Kat had one younger sibling, Emma. Emma lived at the home of her godparents, Harold and Gemma Black, distant relations of the Malfoys. Kat rarely saw Emma and was grateful for that. Emma was sixteen and at Hogwarts at the moment. Kat envied her younger sister but didn't spend her days wishing she were Emma.

Tonight, there was to be a party. Kat was angry at Narcissa Malfoy for making her wear a ridiculously tight dress and stupidly high heels. She had been so angry an hour ago that she had shred the dress into pieces. The high heels had been thrown out the window. Now she was without anything to wear. She rummaged through her closet, finding an awkward deep red evening gown with a plunging neckline. Kat imagined the look on Draco's face when she came down wearing this, his attention completely on her rather than on his simpering fiancée, Pansy Parkinson. Throwing the dress on the bed, she kicked a random pair of slippers out from under her bed. They were flats and she loved flats.

The bedroom was dark and it strangely made her think of Oliver.

Oliver Wood had been Kat's reason for existing for nearly a year. She had been terribly depressed the year before she met him but during the years that she was with him…she knew he had loved her; he said it all the time to her. Did she love him? That was a very stupid question. Of course she loved him. She had always loved him. Her heart clamored for him every time he was away from her for even a day. She had stayed in his home for winter and spring vacations. His family adored her and Narcissa adored him. "You're happy, I can see it," she had said one afternoon, helping Kat pack for her summer trip to Scotland, once again to be with Oliver.

Lucius and Draco hated Oliver. "A Gryffindor, Katarina?" Lucius had said in disdainful tones. "Surely you can do better." She knew it was Lucius's dream that Kat and Draco would get married and provide him and Narcissa with a beautiful child. Kat gagged at the thought. The only person she had even considered marrying was Oliver Wood and that was long over.

Before Oliver, Kat had had a lover. Bradley Zacharias Jones had slept with Kat several times to stop the scandal that would ensue if Kat even considered dating some commoner. Bradley had a wealthy family, was in Ravenclaw House, a prefect and on the Quidditch team as Keeper. Kat smiled thinking about it. Did she have a fetish for Quidditch Keepers? Bradley had faded out too soon.

Before Bradley, however, Kat had slept with many male occupants of Slytherin and Ravenclaw Houses; including Draco Malfoy. She was only thirteen when she lost her virginity to dim-witted Marcus Flint. He had no idea what he was doing and she had cried later. She moved on to more experienced fellows: Ravenclaw's Dario Henderson; Slytherin's bad boys: Adrian Pucey, Gordon LeSabre, Vincent Monawat and, of course, Draco Malfoy. By the time she had found Oliver, she was the experienced one, too.

Oliver was amazed that this girl wasn't what he had heard about. He had heard the words rattled around about her: tramp, vixen, slut, black-hearted. When she was with him, he didn't see these. He saw someone exquisitely intricately carved into a mold that she badly wanted to shed. They'd spend hours stretching out languidly on the bed in his hotel rooms, wrapping themselves in each other and wondering what would happen tomorrow. She would order the food and they'd giggle over shining metal carts laden with elegant desserts that only she knew the names of, toasted cheese and ham sandwiches on whole wheat bread, hot ginger tea, chicken on pasta and fruit. He saw in her violet eyes a kind of sincerity that she shed when they were in public together.

Oliver's Quidditch team, Puddlemere United, was huge when Oliver and Kat were dating and the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly kept enormous recorded tabs on what was happening. The first night they had spent together in a hotel was stamped on Witch Weekly's cover. Although Narcissa was mortified, Kat was elated. She wanted to parade her love, her relationship with Oliver. She loved him but had never said it.

"I love you," he had said, leaning against the car as he said goodbye to her at the train station one summer night.

She had patted the car and said, "You love this car."

"That's different."

"We'll see." Then she had kissed him and gotten on the train and gone home, to Malfoy Mansion. Oliver had never been to Malfoy Mansion to see her, although she knew he visited with his father who worked at the Ministry of Magic alongside Draco and Lucius. Every time he visited, she hid in her room until they left.

She walked out on the balcony wearing only a black slip and smoking a cheap cigarette she bought called 'Kingston.' She looked down on the lawn. There were cars and carriages coming around the long circular path. They stopped, got out and a valet boy would take their vehicle to park it somewhere else. Kat watched, fascinated. There were tall, thin girls with hair piled on their heads like a whipped dessert. She walked back into her room, smashing the cigarette out into a crystal ashtray.

She walked languorously to the dresser where she sat down on the cushioned bench and stared at herself in the mirror. She wasn't wearing any makeup and was developing a pimple on her right cheek. She lit her wand and ran a straight pin through it, sterilizing the pin. She imagined all the tiny one-celled bacteria sizzling as they died. She stabbed the pimple, then wiped it clean with rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab.

Katarina stumbled to the bathroom where she sloppily washed her face and dried it, flipping off the light as she left the bathroom. She threw herself onto the dresser chair and reached for a small blue compact, applying face powder to her cheeks, nose, forehead and chin. She grasped a foundation tube and applied the tiny squeeze of cream to the red mark of her former pimple. It covered perfectly. Then she went to work on her face, doing it furiously in anger. She didn't smear her mascara, didn't go nuts with her eyeliner, spread blush evenly, smeared eyeshadow quickly. She pushed silver earrings into her pierced earlobes and fixed her favorite set of pearls around her neck, her mother's wedding pearls.

The dress slid on easily and Kat realized how much weight she'd lost in the past year. Last year, when she had worn this gown, she'd had cleavage and the dress was form-hugging. Today, her cleavage was gone and it clung to her body desperately, trying not to fall off. She jerked the jaw clip out of her hair and long black curly locks hung down her back past her waist. She grabbed a chunk of hair and smelled it, trying to detect any traces of cigarette smoke. There was none. She smirked at herself in the mirror. She grabbed her wand and waved it sharply at the balcony doors. They slammed shut, three panes of glass falling out and shattering. She grinned at them.

"Leave it for the house-elves," she muttered to herself, enjoying herself immensely. Carelessly, she threw a Chap Stick, the Kingstons, a tampon and her wand into her handbag. She snapped the handbag shut and stared at it hatefully. It was marked with her name: Katarina Natalia Dobbs. Ironically, it had the Malfoy Coat of Arms. She wanted to spit on it, spit in the face of the Malfoys.

But she didn't.

Instead, she shoved her feet into her shoes, gave her hair one last shake and left the dark bedroom.

As she descended the stairs, she saw that Draco was heading towards the study, a cigar tucked in his pocket. Kat felt relieved knowing that he wouldn't be at the table with her.  As she entered the dining room, Narcissa grabbed her arm firmly and steered her to her seat, all the while hissing, "You were supposed to be here an hour ago to help us start the party. A few old school friends were here, looking for you and I had to tell them that I had no idea where you were. Do you have any _clue_ how embarrassing that is that I can't even tell the guests where my ward is? Of course you don't, you were up in your room smoking and doing heaven knows what else!" She shook herself. "Never the matter. The party's already started and dinner is in progress. You will eat, entertain and be civil to the people around you, understand? Aidan was waiting for you and he ate dinner alone!" Aidan Watson was Kat's date. And what happened to the dress I gave you? That ones makes you look like a harpy!"

Kat was steered to her seat by Narcissa's manicured nails. Narcissa delicately took her seat next to Lucius. Pansy was sitting next to Kat. The seat across from her was empty. 'Probably Draco's,' Kat thought, seating herself. She glanced across from her. Aidan smiled. He had quite a nice smile.

"I apologize for my delay," Kat told him. "Were you alright down here by yourself?"

"Fine," Aidan said. "Quite a lot of nice looking young laides to keep my company." Aidan wasn't a Slytherin, something Kat was grateful for. The Slytherin lads were discomforting. Aidan had been in Ravenclaw. Katarina strong suspected that no Hufflepuffs were invited to the party. "If you'll excuse me," Aidan said, standing up, "I'll join Draco in the study."

It was now that Kat understood something. Aidan Watson was a Death Eater. She glanced down the table. Everyone at the long dinner table was, excluding herself. The round dinner tables were for the rest, although the Minister of Magic and his family sat at a round table at the front of the room, reserved with a red tablecloth. Kat breathed in a sharp breath and felt angry now although she didn't know why. She wondered if anyone else except for her noticed this ridiculous way of classing people.

"Katarinaaaa," Pansy said, holding Kat's name out far too long. "You're not eating."

"Oh…right," Kat said. She spoke to her plate and her dinner appeared on her plate. She ate about half of it while talking to a few of the people around her. Several asked about her opinion on politics. She gave them bullshit responses, responses that the Malfoys would give.

"Excuse me," Kat said finally, tiring of talking to Pansy and a leering fellow across and a seat down from her. She got up, grabbed her handbag and left.

She nearly sprinted to the powder room where she locked herself in and sat down on the closed toilet lid. She took a cigarette out of her bag, threw the bag on the ground and lit up. The nicotine pouring through her blood relaxed her. She waited a few minutes, finishing off the cigarette. She stamped it out on a bar of soap and kicked it behind the toilet. Then she left, letting another desperate-looking young woman into the powder room.

Kat walked out onto the portico, praying that no one else would come out here. She didn't want to remain for the speeches but she knew she'd have to return. She looked at her silver watch. The speeches would start in ten minutes. She resisted the urge to light up again.

Instead, she sat down in a wicker chair and looked out into the backyard. Although you couldn't see it, there was a swimming pool hidden behind the bushes. There was a long gravel path that led nowhere except through a garden full of foliage statues of curvaceous women and unicorns. The only thing that Kat liked about Malfoy Mansion was the tree that bloomed white and pink blossoms in the spring. The wind would blow the blossoms into her bedroom and she would press them between old, heavy schoolbooks.

There was a giggle and Kat looked in the direction where the laugh came from. She saw an old classmate of her, Elena Huerta, being pressed against a wall by a tall man. Elena was laughing hysterically and Kat smiled, too. She felt a surge of jealousy and stopped herself before she would start turning shades of green. Elena deserved to be happy. She was an extremely intelligent Gryffindor who also happened to be extremely kind and funny as well. Instinctively, Kat glanced at her watch. She sighed and got up, then went in. The dining room had been transformed into a great hall with several circular tables. Kat swore under her breath and meandered around, trying to look for her seat. She found it, but she didn't like Draco's sense of humor.

She was sitting right next to Oliver Wood.

"Well, Madam Dobbs," Oliver said, grinning. "Will you be sitting down?"

She sat. She looked around. Oliver's family was there, as well: mother, father and brother James. Martha Wood smiled brightly at Kat.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Katarina," she said. "How have you been?"

"Wonderful, Martha," Kat said, finding her voice finally. Where was it when she needed it earlier with Oliver.

"Isn't it ironic that we're sitting together?" Oliver said as Kat set her handbag on the table.

"I don't find it ironic at all," Kat said, "if I know anything about Draco's overwhelmingly overdeveloped superiority disorder. And his sense of humor."

"Ah, so this is young Malfoy's doing?" Oliver said in a lower tone of voice.

"Him and his wonderful fiancée," Kat said scathingly. "He is an appallingly immature boy to sit us together."

"Maybe he wants to make me jealous," Oliver suggested.

"Jealous of him and Pansy?" Kat snorted. "There's nothing there."

"I was talking about you, Kat," he said. Her name in his mouth made her heart leap into her throat. She could feel it pounding in her larynx.

"Why would need to be jealous of Draco and myself?" she asked innocently, knowing exactly where this was going.

"You live here with him. If I were young sir Malfoy, I would take as much advantage of that as possible," Oliver said. "Although that dress does a lot for me."

"Young Mr. Malfoy knows what will happen if he even _enters_ my sleeping chambers," Kat said quietly. "Although you don't pose the same threat he does."

"We both have the same intention."

"Yours is pure."

"Not in my own mind." He grinned and she gave him a sarcastic smile.

The speeches had started with a toast. "To the Ministry of Magic," Draco called out from the podium. They raised their glasses, murmuring, "The the Ministry." Kat had always loved the Scottish R's. She felt a shiver run down her spine. Where was her spine?

She drank the wine, watching Oliver out of the corner of her eye. His posture, as always, was perfect. He sat casually, however, chatting politely with his family. Kat felt like the outsider, the intruder, the poor little rich girl. That was strange. She had always felt like she fit in when she was with them. Things really had changed.

"_Are_ you trying to tease me with that gown, Miss Dobbs?" Oliver's voice was quiet and warm in her ear.

"I didn't even know you were going to be here tonight," she sharply.

"Did you suspect even slightly that I may be here?"

"Not at all. Not even a tiny ray of hope," she said, then realized what she had said. Oliver's smile widened.

From the podium, Draco could see everything, including Kat and Oliver Wood flirting profusely at the table in front of him. His father was making the speeches but Draco knew it would soon be his turn.

Kat was smiling widely at Oliver who was grinning as well. They were both holding back hysterical laughter. He wanted to throttle himself for even trying this. Of course they wouldn't starting hating each other after two years of simply not speaking. Draco could only imagine the pent up sexual energy in the air between them as they conversed.

He glanced up at his father. Lucius Malfoy was a master speech writer and maker. Draco could only pray to become like him. He glanced back at Kat and Oliver.

They were gone.

"I hope the Malfoys don't mind," Oliver said.

"Do you really?" Kat asked.

He grinned. "Not particularly."

She walked ahead of him out to the portico. He followed her. The temperature was unnaturally cold even for October. She shivered but didn't let him see.

"Would you like to walk?" Oliver asked.

She nodded and they stepped off the portico together and onto the gravel path. The rocks crunched uneasily under their feet as they walked, heading towards the fountain where they both took a seat. She still had her drink. The wine tasted stale by now and she wished for stronger alcohol in her bedroom. She tossed the wine in the grass and set the glass in between her and Oliver.

"You seem strange," he said.

"You're the only one to actually say anything," she said lightly.

"And you've lost a lot of weight."

She ignored that, knowing that if she spoke about it, she'd burst out crying and she'd reserved crying only for when she was in her own company.

"How's Puddlemere?" she asked.

"Don't you read the papers, Kat?" he asked, teasing.

"Uggggh," she said. "To read news of my awkward disappearance? Of my so-called depression? How sex starved I am?"

"No," he said. "To read news about me."

She couldn't let him know how much she scoured the papers for news of him, cutting out every little clipping or large article she saw in the papers. She was having every paper delivered.

"I hate the newspapers," she lied.

"When do you plan to blow this place over, Kat?" Oliver asked silently.

She couldn't answer that. She felt her throat become hot with clogged tears. But she spoke. "Lucius has control of me until I'm twenty-one." Then she added, "Unless I get married."

"What the fuck?" Oliver asked. "How can he control you like this?"

"It's in the contract," Kat said. "The contract my parents signed when I was born. If something were to happen, I'd be in Lucius Malfoy's care until I become an adult. Well, something happened."

"I think you should run away," Oliver said.

"And go where? Your parents' place?"

His eyes twinkled merrily. "I have my own place now. You could come and stay with me." She laughed.

"I don't think that would be deemed _appropriate_," she said matter-of-factly. Oliver chuckled.

"Since when have you cared about what's appropriate?" Oliver asked.

"Since never," she said. She leaned into him, placing her hands on his knees and her mouth very close to his. "I'd run away with you and we could get naked together."

"Sounds good to me," Oliver whispered.

"Let's go," Kat said, standing up and pulling at his hands, her face still very close to his. "Let's get naked _now_. In my bedroom." She pulled his large hands around and placed them on her hips. He could feel how the bones jutted out.

"Kat," he said, trying to pull his hands away but not wanting to, "we can't."

"We both want to, big boy," she said. "And I'm of age. We both know that."

"Katarina," he said. She stopped. He had hardly ever called her by her full name. She winced.

"Ollie?" she said weakly.

"Kat, _please_," he said. "We can't. After two years…it would be embarrassing."

"Only if we let it be," she pleaded. "Oliver!" He reluctantly pulled his hands away and stood up, awkwardly colliding with her.

"No, Kat," he said, turning his back to her. "We can't."

She suddenly felt humiliated. Her heart beat hard against her ribs. She feared her bones would shatter.

"Oliver," she whispered and fainted. He caught her in mid-fall. She was slumped strangely, her body bending in weird ways.

"Ah, shit!" he said, picking her up. Her hair hung in the air, swinging as he headed toward the house. He was surprised how far they'd walked. With every step she seemed to weigh more and he suddenly wondered if she was dying. What if he walked into the house with a dead girl in his arms? Particularly a dead girl that he had loved? He hated to think about it. His mind wasn't focusing right.

"Kat," he said loudly to her. "Kitty Kat, are you awake?"

Her eyes opened and she grinned. "You really are my valiant hero."

"Katarina!" he exclaimed, setting her down on two feet. She grinned.

"I was wondering what you would do," she said, giggling. She was smiling brightly now but he could see something behind the white smile. He wondered what it was as they walked together back to the house.

Later, after the party, as Kat helped Pansy undress, she came up with an idea.

"Maybe I should go to London a bit early?" she said, adding the hint of a question at the end to make it seem like she was asking permission. "Just for a break from all these parties. It's beginning to get to me. Maybe then the press will stop following me around."

"Oh darling!" Pansy whined. "I need you here to help me plan for the wedding! Why would you want to leave now?"

"I'm just getting in the way," Kat said quietly. "It's yours and Draco's wedding; he should help you plan it." Kat waited patiently for this to sink in. Pansy nodded. "And besides," Kat added, "you'll be coming up there soon anyway. I could go and get everything ready."

"You're right, Kat," she said. "Why shouldn't Draco help me plan our wedding?" The last bit had slid right past her. Perfect.

Kat nodded in agreement. Pansy nodded as well. "Alright, you can go to London. I'll have some money wired to you once you get there, okay?"

Kat's heart ballooned but she kept a straight face as she helped Pansy into her nightgown. When she got to her room, she leaned against the closed door and let out the happiest laugh she could muster.


	2. Finally

**Chapter Two**

Kat adored London. She loved watching people walk down on the sidewalk from her tiny penthouse hotel room. The room was strange with the door leading right into the bedroom instead of the miniscule sitting area. She was in love with the decorations.

The entire room was fit for her tastes. When Pansy had come to help her decorate, Kat had full rein and made it all hers. Everything was bright, unlike her room at the Mansion. The curtain were light and fluttering with a heavier damask over them for privacy. The bed was ruffle-free and done in simple white sheets that were cool and soft to the touch. There were pillows everywhere.

Now she glanced out the window at the passersby. Everyone was wearing coats and jackets. Kat had been surprised at how cold it had been in London. She had called Pansy and asked her to owl her pea-coat and light jacket here. Kat expected they would arrive tomorrow morning. Today, she unpacked her two small suitcases. Carefully, she filled the underwear drawer of her dark wood dresser. She hung up all dresses and tops in the walk-in closet, smiling at the emptiness of it. She then put all skirts and pants in a dresser drawer. From her carry on bag she covered the top of the dresser with makeup, perfumes, hygiene products, etc. She sat down at the dresser bench, looking again in the mirror. This time, she smiled.

The next morning, Kat heard a knock at the hotel room door. She scrambled out of bed, calling, "Coming!" She didn't bother to put a robe on over her slip. She wanted to tease the bellboy a bit, anyway.

She opened the door. The young man at the door looked at her up and down, smiling. She nodded at him, leaning her head against the door and smiling. "Yes?"

"Message for you, ma'am," he said, handing her a slip of paper and an envelope.

"Thank you," she said, nodding. She closed the door and furiously ripped open the envelope. _Yes_. The money was in there, nearly seven hundred pounds. She stuffed three hundred in her wallet and left the other four hundred in the envelope, tucking it underneath her underwear and closing the drawer. Then she opened the note.

_Dearest Katarina,_

_            We sincerely hope you are having a wonderful time in __London__. The money we sent you is yours to spend however you wish. Your request for your warmer clothing has been answered. The hotel should have the things you asked for at their service desk. Have a nice time! See you in two weeks!_

_                                                            With love,_

_                                                                 Pansy & Draco_

Kat snorted, but folded the note and put in the dresser underneath an ornate perfume bottle. She stepped into the shower moments later and washed her hair furiously, scrubbing her scalp until she was sure it was pink. She dressed slowly, didn't bother to use magic to dry her hair. Then she ordered breakfast.

The young man who delivered breakfast was handsome and Kat chatted with him for a few minutes before asking him if it was cold outside.

"Freezing, ma'am," he replied. "Unnatural for October. It feels like January." Kat agreed, discussing the temperature. Then he left and she ate alone.

The ginger tea reminded her of Oliver. She drank the warm, fragrant liquid slowly, dipping bits of her croissant into the tea and swallowing the moist bread. She finished eating her eggs and left the greasy bacon at the side of the plate. She should have asked for turkey bacon.

Kat called down to room service to take the silver tray away. A plump woman came this time, smiling at Kat who smiled back, glancing at the woman's nametag; it read _Irma_. "I'm Kat," she said, shaking the woman's hand. The woman smiled.

"You know mine," she said. "Kat…meow." Kat had to smile. She hated it when people did that but this woman was different.

"Exactly," Kat replied, "but mine's with a K."

"Will remember that," Irma said, then steered the cart away. Kat pulled on brown sneakers, grabbed her wallet and headed downstairs, tucking the key into her back pocket.

"Excuse me," she said to the handsome man at the service desk. "My name is Katarina Dobbs. I believe I was sent a few jackets in a package this morning."

"Ah, yes," the man said. "Wait just a moment, please." She stood there, fingernails drumming the marble counter until Jason (according to his nametag) returned, holding a box for her. "Here you are, Miss Dobbs," he said. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Kat said thanks and went to sit in a couch in the lobby. She opened the package. Pansy had sent a pea-coat, a light fall jacket and two sweatshirts. "Thanks, Pansy," Kat muttered. She took the pea-coat and took the box back to her room where she thrust it under the bed. Carefully, she tucked the wallet into the pocket of the pea-coat, buttoned the coat up. As she was closing the door to the room, she thought better of it and went back in, took her wand from the bedside table and tucked that into her pocket as well. Then she headed out.

She spent nearly all day shopping. At five, she ate dinner at a place that served only noodles, savoring her independence. The money in her wallet made her cocky. She wanted to do something grand, but had to do something important first.

She took a train to downtown London where she visited the Ministry.

"Please state your name and purpose," said the female voice in the telephone booth.

"My name is Katarina Natalia Dobbs," Kat said. "I'm here for People Search." The button came sliding down. Kat fixed it to the front of her pea-coat. Then, she waited.

The People Search office was on the first floor. Kat took the elevator down and stepped off, searching for the office. When she found it, she entered. It was a neat little office. The plump, redheaded secretary smiled at her. "Well, hello!" she said. "What can I do for you?"

"I need to speak with the Manager," Kat said. The secretary smiled. Her nametag read _Helen_. Helen nodded and waved her wand at a small ratty radio on the counter.

"Mr. Manager?" Helen said. "You have a very pretty young lady here to see you."

"Send her in," replied a rather young voice. Helen gestured towards the door. Kat nodded.

"Thanks, Helen," she said, heading towards the door.

"You are very welcome," Helen replied, smiling as she went back to work.

Kat entered. "Take a seat," the Manager said, his back turned to her in his huge winged chair. She did as she was told, not regretting the Manager a bit. He was here to help her, not control her.

He whirled around in his chair. Kat gasped. "_Vincent?"_ She gaped at the newer, older Vincent Monawat.

"Kat?" he said, glancing quickly at her nametag. "Christ, it _is_ you!"

"It's so good to see you!" Kat exclaimed. "My God! How the hell are you?"

"Doing better than when you last saw me," he said. The last time she had seen him, he had been working within the Dark Lord's inner circles, responding to Lucius. The last time she had seen him, he had rumpled hair, ragged clothes and a manic expression.

"What happened?" she asked. "I haven't heard about you in nearly three years!"

"I quit," he said. "I left the inner circles." He was talking quietly now, but intently.

"You _quit?_" Kat said. "No one quits."

"I did."

Kat broke out into a smile. "Congratulations!" she said. "Doing better, huh?"

"Got married a few months ago," Vincent said, "to Lena Darling."

"That's great!" Kat exclaimed. "She was so nice and a _Gryffindor_. I knew that Slytherins and Gryffindors couldn't _always_ hate each other."

"You can talk, too," Vincent said. "The tabloids are going crazy. You haven't disappeared but are chatting it up with Oliver Wood."

Kat blushed. "Uh…yeah." She hadn't read the papers for the past week while she was packing for London but she knew there must have been something in the papers. "That's what I came to you for."

"Oh yeah?" Vincent's eyebrows became higher.

"I need to get Oliver's address," she said. "I would have gone to the city building but what if his house is Unplottable or something?"

"Oliver Wood…" Vincent jabbed his wand at an enormous file cabinet. A drawer close to the bottom popped open and about thirty files hovered above the rest.

"Do you happen to know his middle name?" Vincent asked Kat.

"Alisdair," she responded immediately. Vincent grinned and jabbed again. A single file came soaring towards him.

"Before I give you this information, you must show me your Magical identification," Vincent said. Kat sighed and reached into her pocket, rifled through her wallet and yanked out the ID where the photo was moving. She pushed it across the desk. Vincent examined it and pushed it back. "Thank you." Kat tucked the ID back into her wallet and dropped the wallet into her pocket.

Vincent walked to a corner where a very curious machine stood. Kat watched as he slid the file into a slot on the machine. Then he waved his wand slowly at it. The thing began to chug.

"Roughly the equivalent of a Muggle copier," Vincent said. "But more efficient."

Soon, the original file slid out followed by another file. "Here you are, Kat," Vincent said, handing her the second file.

"Oh, I didn't want the entire _file_," she said.

"It's always entertaining to read the files of people you know," Vincent said. Kat took the file and went to the door.

"Thank you so much, Vincent," Kat said.

"Thank _you_, Kat," Vincent said. "Do you know what?" She shook her head, staring into his attractive face. "The last time I was at Malfoy Mansion, I saw you on the balcony, remember? You were wearing this amazing evening gown even though it was the middle of the day. When I had come in, I had seen you before you saw me. You looked so…mournful and delicate that I had to wonder what these people did to you. I then realized that exactly was going on. You helped me quit."

Kat hugged Vincent tightly, then pulled away. "Be well, Vincent," she said and left. She said a quick goodbye to Helen, clutching the file. When she came out into the blinking sunlight, her eyes were full of tears. She blinked, holding them back.

Slowly, she strolled to a small park where she sat at a picnic table and opened the file. It was exactly what she imagined a Muggle file would look like. There was a black and white snapshot of Oliver. Kat stared at the snapshot, watching Oliver make faces at her. She smiled at the photographed him and then began reading the file. The first page was very boring except for the one thing she wanted: his address. 13 Shirling Lane, Inverness, Scotland. She nearly laughed in relief. She knew! She could simply Apparate herself there. Then she found what she really needed: a phone number. She giggled stupidly, then reached inside her wallet and pulled out an old receipt. She took a miniature pen from the wallet as well and wrote down the number, her hand shaking as she wrote it. She tucked the receipt back inside the wallet and finally settled down to actually reading the file.

Once Kat got past all the boring social security stuff, she got to the good stuff. His birth certificate, for one. He was born at home on the Orkney Islands. She also discovered that his father's work took him down to south Scotland until Oliver was about eight, the time James was born. Then, when Samuel Wood began working for the Ministry, they moved up to Edinburgh where the parents and James reside now.  Kat laughed, reading over the file. She got to more and more interesting things until she came to something she did not expect—a sheet that Oliver himself had filled out about his personal life and career.

**Ministry of Magic Official Papers**

**Name: Oliver Alisdair Wood**

**Place of Birth: ****Orkney Islands****, ****Scotland******

**Race: White/Caucasian**

**Employer: Puddlemere United Quidditch Team (Manager: Lee Jordan)**

**Name of Father: Samuel William Wood**

**Birthplace of Father: ****Aberdeen****, ****Scotland******

**Name of Mother: Martha Nora Alisdair**

**Birthplace of Mother: ****Aberdeen****, ****Scotland******

**Current Marital Status: girlfriend; Katarina Natalia Dobbs**

Kat stopped reading there. How old was this paper? She glanced at the date. It was filled two years ago. She paused and re-read it. She couldn't believe it. A smile crossed her face and slid that paper back into its safe little clip.

Towards the end of his file, she came upon his school records. Surprisingly, the Ministry also had his marks. After she finished reading the file, Kat came to the conclusion that Oliver was extremely good at Quidditch, quite good at Transfiguration and Astronomy, average in Charms and Defense and completely hopeless in Herbology. Quickly, she shut the file and glanced at her clock. An hour had passed.

"Oh shit," she said. It was getting dark and no one wanted to be in downtown London when it was dark. She quickly found her way back to the hotel and went into her suite, sliding the file into a drawer next to her bed. Before she did this, however, she took out the black and white picture and placed it in her wallet.

Then, Kat took out the phone number and stared at it for a long time, sitting cross-legged on her bed. With a shaking hand, she picked up the phone, dialed 9 to get out of the hotel and slowly began dialing Oliver's number. When she finished, she tucked her shaking hand between her feet and waited. The phone rang once, twice, three times. She was beginning to lose hope. Four times. Then a click and…an answering machine! Kat was surprised Oliver even knew those existed. She supposed he lived in a Muggle neighborhood.

"Hello! You have reached Oliver Wood's place!" His voice made her melt. She sat there listening to it. "I'm not home right now but I'll be back soon so please leave a message and I'll be sure to get back to you. Have a great day!" She waited for the beep. It came too soon and she stuttered leaving her message.

"Ollie, it's me," she said. "I'm in London by myself so I thought I'd drop by to see you. I'm staying at the Concourse in Suite 26 if you want to call or visit or something. Anyway…goodbye." She hung up reluctantly, hoping to actually talk to him in the next few days. She picked up the phone and dialed Pansy's number at the Mansion. This time a person picked up.

"Pansy!" Kat said, trying hard to sound excited,

"Oh, Katarina!" Pansy said. "How are you? Have fun today?"

"Plenty," Kat said. "Thanks for the money and the clothes."

"Oh, honey, it wasn't a problem," Pansy said. "Thanks for calling. I was a wee bit worried."

"How's the wedding stuff going?"

"Divinely!" Pansy replied. "I'm so glad Draco's helping."

Kat could only imagine how Draco was helping. He would probably sit and sneer as Pansy happily picked out plate patterns and registered for gifts. "I'm glad," Kat lied. "Listen, I'm going to bed now. I'll call soon."

"Alright, darling," Pansy said. "Goodnight."

"Bye." Kat hung up the phone.

She undressed and pulled on a thin slip before entering the bathroom to clean her skin. She pulled back her hair and rinsed her face, drying it gently with a lush towel. Then she peed and while she was peeing, she was tired of playing this stupid role for Pansy and Draco, for all of their friends. Where were her friends? She was herself today when she was with Vincent and even though she had slept with him in her Hogwarts days, they were still friends. She rinsed her hands and stood in front of the mirror, exhausted at what she was looking at. She saw a thin girl with small boobs and dark circles under her eyes. She saw who she was hiding behind that mass of curly hair. Kat saw what she had become under the watchful eyes of the Malfoy family. She couldn't find who she had been two years ago; she couldn't find who she had been when she had been happy with Oliver.

She went to bed but lay awake for a long time, dreaming of him and her life without _them_ and then fell asleep after she started seeing clouds on the canopy of the bed.

In the morning, she got up from a strange dream, glanced at the clock and fell asleep again, resting in the mountains of pillows.

The next time she woke up, it was nearly two in the afternoon. She smiled contentedly like a lazy cat and rolled over, staring at the window. She wanted to go get some food at a grocery so she would stop spending money buying breakfast at the hotel.

She lay around for a long time, then look a long and lazy hot shower, rinsing her hair and scrubbing her skin with fragrant hotel soaps. Then she dressed, pulling on a long wool skirt and a black blouse. She stood at the dresser, putting on pearls for fun. Then she put on long stocking underneath the skirt. As she was pulling her shoes on, there was a knock on the door.

"Room service!" a voice called. She hopped to the door and opened it.

"Oliver!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. She threw her arms around him and gave him a tight hug. "You got my message!"

"Of course," he said, stepping into the room. The bed was unmade. The thought of her sleeping in it made him blush. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I was going to go down to the grocery to buy some food," she said. "I'm tired of buying overpriced hotel breakfasts."

"Good idea," Oliver said. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," she said, buckling her shoes and standing up. "Let me get my coat." He watched her walk to a chair where she picked up a grey wool coat and pulled it on, buttoning it up.

They walked three blocks until they found a decent grocery. Once inside, Oliver took a large basket. "Such a gentleman," Kat remarked.

"I know," he said. "Scotsmen are quite remarkable, aren't they?"

"Quite," Kat said, taking a bunch of small carrots and throwing them into the basket.

"How'd you get my number, Kat?" he asked. She blushed.

"I went to People Search," she said.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Oliver said. "You didn't get my whole file, did you?"

"Uhhh."

"Dammit," Oliver said. "So, what do you think of me now?"

"The same as I've always thought of you," she said, pitching in a package of Chinese style noodles into the basket along with a box of water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and baby corn. She moved on down the aisle, finding Romaine lettuce and small salad cucumbers. Then she added fruit.

"What have you always thought of me?" Oliver asked.

"You tell me," Kat said. "You know me too well."

"Not anymore, I don't," he replied. "So tell me."

She shrugged. "You were a hopeless Herbology student."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"I like you, Oliver," she said. "I always have."

She threw peaches and apples into the basket as well, grabbing a long loaf of French bread and swinging it back and forth in her hand like a baton.

"You have enough allowance for all this?" Oliver asked, looking into the basket, a hint of bitterness in his voice. She ignored it, knowing exactly how he felt about the Malfoys having financial control over her own assets.

"Pansy wired me some money," Kat said.

"Quite a bit of money, I understand," Oliver said.

"Quite," she nodded in agreement.

"You'll need to shop for my house one day," Oliver said. "All I have is stupid man food."

"A six-pack of beer and endless amounts of pork chops?"

"Exactly. You seem to have this healthy diet thing going," Oliver said.

"I hate beer and pork chops," Kat said lightly, laughing as she put bagels and cream cheese in the basket. "Why don't you ask Mum to do it?"

"She won't," Oliver said. "She's still upset that I left home."

"Ahh, poor baby," Kat said lightly. "You always were a Mama's boy, I'll bet." Oliver shook his head.

"James was more of a mama's boy," he said. "Although I clung to Mum for a while."

Kat smiled, thinking of little Oliver playing with his mother. She had a wave of nostalgia as she glanced back at him.

Once the basket became too heavy, Kat grabbed a box of tea bags and went to pay for everything. The young woman at the cash register was quiet but polite. "Have a nice day," Oliver said to her as they left. She smiled and waved.

"Always flirting with every woman you meet, I see," Kat said.

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked in fake innocence. She beamed at him as he pushed open her suite door for her. They went into the kitchen and began setting things up. From room service, Kat ordered some dishes and cutlery. They came soon and she arranged them in cupboards and drawers while Oliver set up the food in bowls and the refrigerator.

"Darling," Kat said, "you do a wonderful job of this."

"Thank you," he replied. "It's my expertise."

"You've given up Quidditch?"

"I have practice later today," he said. "Around three."

"It's nearly lunchtime," Kat said. "Let's eat greasy food."

"You didn't buy any," he said.

"Let's find a fish-n-chips stand," she said. "This is London, there's bound to be one crazy bastard trying to make a bit of money."

"Let's go."

They didn't have to walk far to find fish and chips. Kat paid for both of them and they found a park bench where they sat down to eat.

"Did you read the newspapers last week?" Oliver asked.

"Not at all. Why?"

"Front page featuring ourselves," Oliver said.

"Yeah, I heard something about that," Kat said. She giggled as she bit into a soft, buttery chip.

Oliver glanced at his watch. "I have to go," he said. "It'll take a while to get ready for practice and stuff…" He trailed off.

"Right," she said, crumpling up the newspaper she was eating her food on.

"Do you want to come by tomorrow?" Oliver asked. "I'll be home all day."

"How come?"

"It's a Saturday," he explained. "We don't have practices on weekends and we have a game on Monday so we need to rest up, you know?"

"I know," she said. "Maybe I will come by. Help you keep house, maybe?"

"You're a guest, sweet," Oliver said. "No need to help me keep house. I have a mother."

"I'll be the surrogate," she teased.

"Not a very good surrogate," he said. "A strange relationship between a surrogate mother and her son."

"Why do you say that?" Kat asked.

"We'll end up sleeping together."


End file.
